Welded light alloy car construction

ABSTRACT

A railway passenger vehicle construction including longitudinally extending extruded wall portions having interlocking and abutting portions producing a smooth outer surface having a curvature eccentric with the curvature of the vehicle inner wall to improve the aerodynamic and structural properties of the vehicle walls. Adjacent extruded members are attached as by a weldment on their inside portions in a manner to prevent buckling and provide a finished external surface free of blemishes from weldments or other fastening means.

United States Patent Van Der Sluys et al. [451 June 27, 1972 54] WELDED LIGHT ALLOY CAR 2,680,503 6/1954 Clarke .105/401 CONSTRUCTION FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventors: William Van Der Sluys, Crown Point, lnd.;

Thomas J. 'N Evergreen Park 1 1,082,613 12/1956 Germany ..l05/40l Norman M. Szala, Hammond, Ind.

Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Attorney-Hilmond 0. Vogel and Wayne Morris Russell ABSTRACT A railway passenger vehicle construction including longitudinally extending extruded wall portions having interlocking and abutting portions producing a smooth outer surface having a curvature eccentric with the curvature of the vehicle inner wall to improve the aerodynamic and structural properties of the vehicle walls. Adjacent extruded members are attached as by a weldment on their inside portions in a manner to prevent buckling and provide a finished external surface free of blemishes from weldments or other fastening means.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PHTENTEDJUW I972 SHEET 10F 2 l I n2 5g 912 Ak?))-+- \)\l K //(\@1 @1 5 I K Y v w l4 02 I6 22 212 I8 22 I2 as l4 INVENTOR WILLIAM VAN DER SLUYS THOMAS .1. O'NEILL NORMAN M. SZALA PATENTEDJMN m2 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTORS WILLIAM VAN DER SLUYS THOMAS J. O'NEILL NO AN M. SZALA WELDED LIGHT ALLOY CAR CONSTRUCTION SUMMARY In railway passenger vehicles it is common practice to cover structural members with a relatively thin outside sheet of metal for functional and aerodynamic improvements in the vehicle. In the past the custom has been to attach the enclosure members directly by means of rivets or weldments. A drawback in this practice has been that the rivets or other mechanical fastening means weaken the structure, cause pre mature corrosion and add weight and therefore are objectionable. If a weldment is used to attach a thin sheet covering means, the sheet may distort and discolor due to the heat caused during the welding operation, thereby failing to eliminate the unsightliness as intended. The present invention has eliminated the thin outer sheets by providing an extruded structural outer member which presents a structurally sound outside surface free of rivets or other fasteners and free from the distortions and discoloration caused by weldments.

The car construction of the present invention may readily be adapted to use on a high speed freight train wherein the interior of the car isgenerally rectangular with flat sides, roof, and floor yet the exterior must be rounded for aerodynamic reasons. The wall construction herein employed permits the use of standard, easily manufactured framing members while virtually any exterior car profile can be obtained. The present invention relates to an improved lightalloy car construction having interlocking outer wall portions fixedly attached on their inside abutting surfaces as by a fillet weld and including varying depth stiffening and attaching ribs.

A primary purpose or object of the present invention is to provide an improved light alloy railway vehicle having an outer wall assembly which presents a smooth surface free of fasteners and weldments and which portions are easily attached together as by weldment from the inside of the car.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extruded outer wall for a railway vehicle, said wall having inwardly extending rib portions abutting the vehicle wall post for attachment thereto and thereby forming a spaced portion between the vertical wall posts and the car outer wall, the spaced portion between the outer wall and the vertical wall posts forming an air pocket which provides an improved insulation in the walls of the vehicle. The rib portions extending from the extruded sheet means extend longitudinally the length of each sheet and also provide an attaching surface for insulating sheet means located in the walls of the vehicle.

A further object is to provide an extruded wall memberhaving rib portions extending normalto the main body of the wall member. The rib portions are used to attach the wall member to vehicle framing members and the ribs can be of different dimensions to thereby obtain any desired vehicle exterior configuration or curvature.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from reference to the following description, attached drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE'DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railway passenger vehicle employing the side construction of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a modification of the invention; and 7 FIG. 4 is an enlarged section view of the wall panel interlock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. I, there is illustrated a lightweight railway passenger vehicle of the construction contained in the present invention. The vehicle 10 includes the usual side sill 12 extending longitudinally the length of the vehicle. Spaced couplers 14 are positioned at the ends of the car and are connected to a stub center sill which extends to the body bolster (not shown) which is located above each truck 16. The vehicle side wall units 18include windows 20 and sliding door 'members 22 which, when opened, are receivable in the side wall portions designated generally at 24.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a more complete understanding of the side wall construction will be forthcoming. The side sill 12 consists of a combination of two extruded members joined together, thus forming a unitary side sill having a hollow portion and extending the length of the vehicle. A first Z-shaped member 26 is assembled as part of the side wall unit 18 and thereby imparts rigidity to a somewhat flexible side wall unit. The second side sill member 28 is assembled initially as part of the underframe or floor unit 30 thus, to form the side sill 12,

the members 26 and 28 are brought together and attached as by fasteners 32 and weldments 33. The first Z-shaped member 26 is rigidified inside door area by the angle member 34 which is welded into an outside comer.

The underframe or the floor unit 30 includes transversely extending and longitudinally spaced cross members 35. A sub floor sheet 36 is positioned above the cross members 35 and supports insulation 37 positioned in the heating and air conditioning duct 40. Above the duct 40 is a plymetal floor 44 which comprises a sheet of plywood having aluminum sheets on both sides and thereby forming a lightweight rigid floor structural member. The portion of the underframe or floor unit 30 which is exposed to the interior of the vehicle includes a carpet 46 which is fixedly secured to the plymetal floor 44 by a suitable adhesive. The transverse edge margins of the carpet are held in place by arcuately formed inner wall lower portions 48. The plymetal floor extends the width of the vehicle and is fixedly attached to the top flange portions 49 of the second side sill member 28. A side sill skirt portion 54 is attached to the first Z-shaped member 26 to conceal the side sill and provide a smooth outside skin to the side wall unit 18.

The side wall unit 18 includes vertically extending and longitudinally spaced wall posts 56 having a Z-shaped cross section and including inner flanges 58 and outer flanges 59. A wall sheet 60 is attached to the inner flange 58 and forms the inner wall surface on the interior of the vehicle. The wall sheets 60 are held in place by suitable fasteners one of which is indicated at 62. A seat bracket is indicated at 63 and attached to the inner flange 58 to function primarily in fastening the seat rigidly to the vehicle. Arm rest 64 may also be attached on the inner surface of the wall sheets 60.

The interior of the side wall units is generally hollow and used as air ducts 65 for circulation of heating and cooling air,

A fiberglass insulation 66 is fixedly attached adjacent the outer flanges 59 of the side wall posts 56 and has a metallic foil surface as indicated at 67 to protect the insulation from moisture contained in circulating air which flows through the wall section ducts 65. Air flowing through the duct portion 65 enters the vehicle interior through the perforated plates 68 located at the inside bottom of the windows 20.

The outside surface of the side wall unit 18 comprises an extruded light alloy construction including interlocking portions secured together at their inner abutting surfaces so as to provide a smooth continuous outside skin free of weldments or other mechanical fastening devices and having sufficient thickness and integral rib portions to enable the extruded members to function when attached to the car structure as structural supporting members.

Referring now to FIG. 2 for a more complete understanding of the outside extruded construction, the extruded wall unit of the present invention includes four interlocking extruded portions but could comprise as few as one, or more than four, individual sections, depending on the height of the wall section being covered and depending on ease of handling and economies involved in manufacturing and assembling individual extruded portions. The bottom or lower wall portion 70 is attached to the first Z-shaped member 26 and to the skirt 54. The lower portion 70 includes a slightly arcuate outer portion 72 and attaching rib members 74,76. The ribs 74,76 include inner flange portions 77,77 and web portions 77a, 77b. The rib members 74,76 extend the length of the wall portion 70 and are fixedly attached to the outer flange 59 of the vertical wall posts 56 by weldments. The ribs 74,76 impart additional strength to the wall portion as well as provide a means for attaching the wall portion to the wall post in such manner that heat which results during welding is dissipated through the ribs and does not reach the outer portion 72 and is thereby prevented from distorting or discoloring the outer portion. The lower wall portion 70 terminates at its top edge with an insertable interlocking portion 78 which includes a vertically extending wedge-shaped portion 80 and an inwardly extending tab portion 82 (see FIG. 4). The tab portion 82 is utilized essentially to facilitate securing adjacent extruded members together. This securement may be obtained by welding, if desired, without defacing the outer surface inasmuch as the weld is made on the inner side and spaced from the outer surface.

A second extruded wall member 84 is positioned adjacent and interlocked with the lower wall member 70 by a locking portion 86 which receives the wedge portion 80 of the lower extruded member 70. A longitudinally extending mounting rib 88 having web portion 88 and flange portion 89 and a second rib 90 having web 90 and flange 91 extend inwardly from the second wall portion 84 and are used to attach the same to the vertical wall post 56 in the same manner used in attaching the lower wall member 70. Likewise, the rib members 88 and 90 space the wall portion 84 from the vertical wall post 56 and the amount of spacing between the wall portion 84 and the wall post 56 can be varied by regulating the depth of the web 88' and 90' of each rib 88,90 (see FIG. 3). The upper inter locking portion of the second wall member 84 is the same as the interlocking arrangement used between the first or the lower member 72 and the second wall member 84 and is identified by the same numerals.

The third extruded member 94 is interlocked with the second wall member 84 by means of the interlocking arrangement used previously. The third interlocking member 94 includes three stepped or offset portions 96 which impart structural rigidity to the extruded member as well as function for decorative purposes. Top and bottom rib members designated at 98 and 100 include inner flange portions 98, 100 which are used to attach the extruded member to the side wall posts and also include a short web portion designated at 101,102 which function primarily as a spacer and, as with the other extruded members, determines the amount of spacing between the outer flange 59 of the wall post 56 and the outer surface of the extruded panels (see FIG. 3).

A top extruded portion 104 completes the side wall assembly and interlocks with the third member 94 in the same manner used to interlock previous adjoining panels. The top member 104 includes a spacing rib 106 which is used to attach the member to the side wall post and also includes both a web 108 which spaces the outer wall of the extruded member from the side wall post and a flange 110 used for welding the extruded member to the wall posts 56. The top portion of member 104 tapers into the window framing assembly 112.

Thus it is seen that by utilizing the interlocking light alloy extruded panels which extend longitudinally along the side of the railway vehicle and by utilizing the rib members, it is possible to space the extruded portions from the inside insulation and form air pockets which also aid in insulating the interior of the vehicle from the environment. It is to be noticed that the wall posts 56 are arcuate with all surfaces of the side posts being drawn from concentric circles. However, the outside surface of a vehicle, because of aerodynamic or space considerations, may require an are which is not concentric with the radius used on the outer portions of the vertical wall post 56 to which it is to be attached. This requires either a specially made wall post having non-concentric or eccentric inner and outer radii and, as done in the past, to which a thin outer sheet has been attached. However, this is prohibitive inasmuch as forming a thusly made wall post is objectionable from a manufacturing and fabrication standpoint. Thus, by employing the construction of the present invention, it is possible to retain the conventional vertical wall post and yet obtain an outside surface having any desired outside radius or curvature which maybe desired. The degree of are obtained is determined by the transverse depth dimension of the web used in the ribs which are utilized for spacing the wall from the side posts 56 thus fonning airspaces or voids and for attaching purposes.

With reference now to FIG. 3, a modification of the present invention where the features mentioned previously are illustrated, it is noticed that the inner and outer radii of the side wall unit are not concentric and it is thus illustrated that a prime feature of the present invention permits the use of different and non-concentric radii in forming a side wall unit.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without department from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle body of light alloy welded construction supported on spaced trucks and having a skeletal framing structure and spaced side wall units, said vehicle body includmg:

longitudinally extending wall portions forming an exterior wall of said vehicle,

each wall portion including rib portions extending inwardly of the vehicle toward said skeletal framing structure,

said rib portions forming attaching means for securing the wall portions to the vehicle skeletal structure,

said wall portions being attached to said skeletal structure and said inwardly extending rib portions having web portions spacing the wall portions from the skeletal structure to thereby provide wall sections spaced from the vehicle skeletal framing structure,

said rib portions including a flange portion for attachment of the associated wall portion to said skeletal framing structure of the railway vehicle,

said wall portions being an extruded aluminum alloy.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said exterior wall of the vehicle including a plurality of vertically stacked adjacent wall portions having interlocking portions forming a continuous smooth outside wall surface, said interlocking portion including a protruding portion on a wall portion insertable in an adjacent wall portion,

said interlocking portion also including an abutting tab member and said adjacent wall portion having an inwardly extending rib connecting with said tab member to thereby provide an attachment point spaced from said smooth outside wall surface.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said web portions being of varying transverse depths about the skeletal structure to produce an outwardly bowed curvature of said wall sections.

4. The invention according to claim 1, and

said skeletal framing structure including vertically extending arcuate side wall posts having inner and outer concentric flange portions,

said rib portions attached to said outer flange ponion as by a weld to thereby produce an outer wall structure having a curvature eccentric with the arcuate side wall posts. 5. A railway passenger vehicle side wall construction including:

longitudinally spaced and vertically extending arcuate wall posts having inner and outer flange portions,

longitudinally extending vertically stacked and adjacent extruded wall portions having interlocking portions and having rib portions extending transversely therefrom toward and communicating with said wall posts,

said rib portions including a flange portion fixedly attached to the outer flange portion of the associated vertical wall posts,

said interlocking portion including an abutting tab member and said adjacent wall portion having a rib portion connecting with said tab portion to provide an attachment joint spaced from said outside wall surface. 7. The invention according to claim 5, and

said wall portions being an extruded aluminum alloy. 

1. A railway vehicle body of light alloy welded construction supported on spaced trucks and having a skeletal framing structure and spaced side wall units, said vehicle body including: longitudinally extending wall portions forming an exterior wall of said vehicle, each wall portion including rib portions extending inwardly of the vehicle toward said skeletal framing structure, said rib portions forming attaching means for securing the wall portions to the vehicle skeletal structure, said wall portions being attached to said skeletal structure and said inwardly extending rib portions having web portions spacing the wall portions from the skeletal structure to thereby provide wall sections spaced from the vehicle skeletal framing structure, said rib portions including a flange portion for attachment of the associated wall portion to said skeletal framing structure of the railway vehicle, said wall portions being an extruded aluminum alloy.
 2. The invention accoRding to claim 1, and said exterior wall of the vehicle including a plurality of vertically stacked adjacent wall portions having interlocking portions forming a continuous smooth outside wall surface, said interlocking portion including a protruding portion on a wall portion insertable in an adjacent wall portion, said interlocking portion also including an abutting tab member and said adjacent wall portion having an inwardly extending rib connecting with said tab member to thereby provide an attachment point spaced from said smooth outside wall surface.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said web portions being of varying transverse depths about the skeletal structure to produce an outwardly bowed curvature of said wall sections.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, and said skeletal framing structure including vertically extending arcuate side wall posts having inner and outer concentric flange portions, said rib portions attached to said outer flange portion as by a weld to thereby produce an outer wall structure having a curvature eccentric with the arcuate side wall posts.
 5. A railway passenger vehicle side wall construction including: longitudinally spaced and vertically extending arcuate wall posts having inner and outer flange portions, longitudinally extending vertically stacked and adjacent extruded wall portions having interlocking portions and having rib portions extending transversely therefrom toward and communicating with said wall posts, said rib portions including a flange portion fixedly attached to the outer flange portion of the associated vertical wall posts, said wall posts and said vertically stacked wall portions being fixedly attached and combining to form a curved hollow beam wall section.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, and said interlocking portions including a protruding portion on a wall portion insertable in a receiving portion of the adjacent wall portion thereby forming a continuous smooth outside wall surface, said interlocking portion including an abutting tab member and said adjacent wall portion having a rib portion connecting with said tab portion to provide an attachment joint spaced from said outside wall surface.
 7. The invention according to claim 5, and said wall portions being an extruded aluminum alloy. 